Being Beautiful
by KittyGirl12
Summary: When my friend and I went to kill the dogs that were terrorizing the clans, we first thought that it would be easy. That day, we learned not do something with out thinking about it twice. SPOILER ALERT! Don't read if you haven't read Brightpaw's story in the Warriors series. Rated T because it's intense. Please Review! Hint of Cloudtail-Brightheart romance!
1. Chapter 1

Being Beautiful

**A/N: **J**Your support means the world to me! Thank all of you for viewing, and please feel free to leave a review! I will make whatever changes seem necessary to increase your viewing pleasure! (Please be respectful, tell the truth and no cursing.) **

**So sit back and enjoy my story! (Hope you like it!)**

"Brightpaw? Helloooo? You mouse brain, are you listening?"

Swiftpaw's voice startled me out of a daydream.

"Huh?" I responded absently.

"Did you hear a single word I said?"

_Nope, _I thought, but out loud, replied "Uh, yea, most of it..."

"So do you agree?" Swiftpaw asked eagerly.

"Absolutely."

"Great! Tomorrow? Will that work? My mentor has a patrol all day, so he won't miss me."

"What are we doing again?" I asked.

"DUH! We are going to prove that we're ready to be warriors like Cloudtail! Once we kill those dogs, Bluestar will _have _to give us our names. I was thinking _Swiftwind_, that's much more stylish than _Cloudtail_, don't do you think?"

Swiftpaw said Cloudtail's name with contempt. I know that he was mad that Cloudtail became a warrior before him, especially when he was the one who started training first. But it's not like it was Cloudtail's fault.

"I'm not sure that we should attack the dogs," I mumbled, "We don't have permission, and they have already injured a few warriors."

"Too late!" Swiftpaw smirked, "I know that we can beat those ugly old flea brains easily! Besides, we're almost at Snakerocks, anyway."

I sighed, but he did have a point. We _were_ almost at the dogs den, and we _were _really strong. Besides, how hard can some old dogs be to fight, anyway?

Once we reached Snakerocks, I looked at Swiftpaw, expecting him to have a plan.

"Stake-out time!" he grinned.

After what seemed like hours of waiting (it was really only a few minutes) Swiftpaw got impatient.

"Let's storm them!" he said.

Before I could stop him, he raced towards the entrance of the cave, shouting the worst insults I had ever heard.

"Swiftpaw," I started to call.

I ran towards him, trying to shut him up, but it was too late. A terrible howling and growling issued out of the cave's mouth. Suddenly, all of Swiftpaw's bravado fell away, revealing a very scared, young apprentice.

"Run!" I screamed.

And then, what seemed like hundreds of dogs exploded out of the cave, baying and slobbering. I ran as fast as I could, shrieking for help. Tears of fear and panic streamed down my face, and I started getting a cramp in my side. I could hardly breathe, my terror was so great, and my heart seemed to be frozen. I heard terrible screams and I looked behind me to see Swiftpaw and the dogs…then, they killed him. He was my best friend. And they killed him.

The dogs got closer and closer and mixed into the howls and growls, I could make out a slow, deadly chant of _Pack, pack, kill, kill._

Suddenly, a group of dogs was in front of me. I tried to escape, but they were too fast. A massive, slavering dog lunged, and there was a searing pain across my face. Everything went black.

**A/N: Another Chapter tomorrow! I promise! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

"Is she alive?"

I heard voices, but my eyes wouldn't open. Was I dead? More voices started talking, but the ringing in my ears became too loud to hear what they were saying. I felt myself being jostled around, and I heard a distant but comforting female voice.

"Brightpaw?" The female voice sounded familiar "You are safe, you're with me now."

I tried to say something, but my voice wasn't working. My throat hurt. So did my eyes. I tried to open them, but they seemed to be stitched shut.

_How long have I been laying here?_ I wondered. _Where am I? What is wrong with my eyes? _Then I think I passed out but I still felt the pain, even in my sleep.

Something wet was poured down my throat. Water? I couldn't tell. I still couldn't open my eyes, but I was able to hear, and I learned that I was in the medicine den with Cinderpelt. My pain had mostly subsided, but I couldn't feel or move the left side of my face. I groaned. Cinderpelt had told me that I had been unconscious for three days. I felt dizzy, and I was sick of always being in the dark.

"You have a fever, but it will be alright."

I was glad that Cinderpelt was so kind, it helped me feel comforted.

"Brightpaw, you have a visitor," Cinderpelt called.

I looked towards the entrance of the medicine den, eager for some company. I was finally able to open my right eye, but the left side of my face was still paralyzed. I hadn't been able to get out of bed, but I was feeling a lot better. Quietly, Cloudtail came in, smiling at me. I tried to smile back, but I couldn't. This was the third time he had come to see me. Most cats wouldn't look at me when they came, but he always looked right at my face.

"You're beautiful," he would tell me, "No matter what they say, you're beautiful."

I didn't understand. _Why didn't any cat want to look at me? What was wrong with my face?_

Cinderpelt had told me what had happened. Swiftpaw's mentor had come back from patrol much earlier than expected, and when he couldn't find his apprentice, he got worried. After asking around, he discovered that we had been missing since morning. Once he had talked to the deputy Fireheart, a full-out search party was arranged. They had finally found us by Snakerocks. Swiftpaw's throat had been ripped out, and I was severely wounded. At first, they thought that I was dead, but when they noticed that I was still breathing they carried me to Cinderpelt. For days I had been delirious and when they asked me what had happened, all I could say had been "_pack, pack, kill, kill". _Eventually, they realized that we had been attacked by dogs. Cinderpelt still wouldn't tell me why every cat flinched when they saw my face.


	3. Chapter 3

Cinderpelt and Cloudtail supported me as I took my first few steps. It had been a moon since the dog attack and I was finally healed. That is, except for the left side of my face. I still couldn't see out of that eye or hear out of that ear.

"I want to see my reflection."

Cinderpelt looked away.

"I'm not sure..." she mumbled.

I pushed past her and tottered to the little pool of water in the den. At first, the water rippled, but as soon as it lay still, I was finally able to understand the uncomfortable looks that I had been getting all this time. I screamed.

That hideous creature could not be me. I was pretty, with a delicate face. This cat's face was horribly scarred; the whole left side had been ripped entirely off. This cat's left ear was shredded beyond recognition and her eye was entirely gone. I ran away from that terrible image, I ran from my own reflection. Cinderpelt couldn't stop me. I ran far into the forest and hid from the memories that haunted me. In my mind, I saw the horrible carnage of my face; my ears rang with the death chant of the dogs. _Pack, pack, kill, kill._

It was Cloudtail who found me. He lay down beside me while I cried. I told him everything. I told him about the horrifying images which flashed across my mind. "I'm ugly," I sobbed, "I'm so ugly, no cat will want to look at me again." "You'll always be beautiful to me," He said.

I never looked at my reflection again. I don't need to be reminded of my scars. I don't need to remember the cruel name that I was given, Lostface.

All I choose to remember is my new name, Brightheart. All I desire to remember is that in Cloudtail's eyes, I will always be beautiful. Always.


End file.
